Priming mixture



Patented Apr. 23,, E935 mean-r aerator rnnrmze mums James E. lilurns, Bridgeport, (Donn...

assignor to Remington Arms Company, line, a corporation oi Delaware No Drawing. Application .iluly l, 1931, Serial No. 54%,258

2 Claims.

This invention relates to ammunition priming mixtures, and contemplates the provision of a novel fuel ingredient for such mixtures.

The field of available priming mixture fuels has been substantially limited by the elimination of the corrosive oxidizer, potassium chlorate,

from modern non-corrosive mixtures. Potassium chlorate is extraordinary in that it contains a large quantity of oxygen which it yields with great facility at a comparatively low temperature, but is subject to the great disadvantage that it deposits a. highly corrosive residue in a gun barrel. The replacement of potassium chlorate by non-corrosive oxidizers, such as barium iii trate, lead nitrate and lead peroxide, which con tain less oxygen or yield their oxygen only at a high temperature, has made desirable the use of fuels which possess a great afiinity for oxygen, or for other reasons are more emcient in extracting oxygen from somewhat sluggish oxidizers.

Prior to the present invention, metal powders have been regarded as unsuitable priming mixture fuels on account of the slowness of their combustion and/or the high temperature necessary to initiate combustion. The present invention comprises the discovery that certain metal powders function with great emciency as the fuels of priming mixtures, particularly non-corrosive mixtures. For this purpose, a powder oi the metal zirconium is especially desirable. This substance by itself is an excellent priming mix- 'ture fuel, and it has been thus used in mixtures having approximately the following composition:

5 Per cent Mercury fulminate approximately 40 Barium nitrate approximately 29 Zirconium approximately 8 to 10 Glass approximately 20 40 Gum approximately 1 It is to be understood that the proportions of the ingredients of this mixture are subject to substantial variation. It is sometimes desirable to use additional fuels, such as antimony sulphide and/or lead sulphooyanate. For example in the above mixture antimony sulphide may be present in quantities up to about 6%, the zirconium con 5 tent being proportionately reduced. Moreover, other oxidizers than barium nitrate, and other combustion initiators than mercury fulminate, may be used. For example, a mixture showing very satisfactory sensitiveness and prim-' o ing capacity, and extraordinary stability under storage in an a mosphere of high humidity, is

as follows:

' Per cent Guanylnitrosaminoguanyltetracene v .3 is Lead trinitroresorcinate 27; Lead nitrate no Zirconium -7 Antimony sulphide 14 Lead sulphocyanate 9 20 Both the ingredients and the proportions may be substantially varied. I Y

'Ihe present invention constituting the first use of metal powder, particularly zirconium powder, in ammunition priming mixtures, the 25 appended claims are to be broadly construed.

What is claim is: v 1. An ammunition priming mixture containing substantially: A

Per cent 30 Guanylnitrosanunoeuanyltetracene 8 Lead 'Irinitroresorcinate 27 Lead Nitrate 40 Zirconiunn- Antimony sulphide 14 Lead sulphocyanate 9" 2. An ammunition priming mixture containing lead trinitrorescorcinate, guanylnltrosaminoguanyltetracene and zirconium.

JAWS E. BURNS. 

